One to two foot California native plants that can be used as groundcovers.

To view lower plants that can be used as groundcovers, click here, for two feet or higher click here or check out Slopes.

These native plants should work as low groundcovers in most California gardens.

Arctostaphylos John Dourley as a mounding groundcover. - grid24_6

Arctostaphylos John Dourley, a one foot high groundcover for small gardens. Part-shade inland, full sun near coast.

Arctostaphylos purissima, Petite Margarita - grid24_3

Arctostaphylos purissima, Petite Margarite.

Artemisia californica, Canyon Gray Canyon, Grey Trailing Sagebrush - grid24_6

Artemisia californica, Canyon Gray is excellent in heavy adobe soils near the coast.

Ceanothus maritimus in foreground, Salvia Pt. Sal in background, and Baccharis Pigeon Point in the rest of the picture. - grid24_12

Baccharis pilularis pilularis, Pigeon Point is a low green groundcover that looks like a moundy lawn.

Baccharis pilularis pilularis, Santa Ana Dwarf Bachharis - grid24_6

Baccharis pilularis pilularis Santa Ana is another lawn replacement,that is green but drought tolerant.

Leymus triticoides - creeping wild rye, Valley Wild rye, alkali rye down at the end of our road in Santa Margarita - grid24_12

Elymus triticoides a creeping lawn that loves areas that are wet in spring, dry in summer.

Cliff Buckwheat in coastal sage scrub south of Los Osos. Often you can find a trail a few miles from your home full of native plants. - grid24_6

Eriogonum parvifolium a creeping buckwheat that grows on coastal bluffs and back into some of the inland valleys. Where the salt spray gets to it Cliff buckwheat can be less than a foot tall.

Carex praegracilis (clustered field sedge) - grid24_6

Ceanothus thrsiflorus repens likes part shade. - grid24_12

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens is a prostrate Ceanothus with lots of attractive sky blue flowers.

Carex praegracilis is a green lawn-like groundcover. Carex commonly grows in seasonally wet spots that go dry in summer.

California Poppies are covering a slope in in Central California. Plant a poppy into a native garden and you can make it come alive with small wildlife. - grid24_6

Eschscholzia californica, California poppy makes a great fill in for a groundcover providing dramatic color in spring and summer for a green slope or expanse.

Hazardia squarrosus ssp. grindelioides is also know as a Saw toothed goldenbush. This one has a Behl or Mormon Metalmark Butterfly enjoying it. - grid24_6

Haplopappus squarrosus a small bushy plant covered with clusters of yellow flowers that takes lots of heat and drought in inland areas.

Heuchera maxima, Island Alum root. These plants are about 20 years old. - grid24_12

Heuchera maxima, Island alum root is a good plant in a shady garden.

This pink alum root came from the bottom end of it's elevation and looks like it has some Heuchera micrantha in it. - grid24_6

Heuchera micrantha This Alum Root is a 1' perennial with a 2' spike of very dainty white flowers, a hundred or so spikes at a time on a happy plant.

Iva hayesiana is an evergreen groundcover in warm winter areas, deciduous in colder areas.

Mahonia repens, Creeping Mahonia - grid24_6

Mahonia repens is a pretty showy groundcover for inland gardens, and looks best with afternoon or full shade.

Mimulus guttatus, Seep Monkey Flower, growing on a hillside. - grid24_6

Mimulus guttatus, Seep monkey flower can fill in a wet spot in a garden.

Salvia Daras Choice has blue flowers - grid24_6

Salvia Daras Choice makes a green groundcover with blue flowered spikes.

Salvia Pt. sal on a coastal bluff by Cambria - grid24_12

Salvia leucophylla, Pt. Sal. Got a coastal bluff with heavy clay and no water?

Salvia munzii is a delightful little sage from San Diego that is very effective on small sun covered slopes.

Flowers of Salvia Powerline Pink - grid24_6

Salvia spathacea Powerline Pink makes an interesting groundcover that throws up a a stunning flower spike in part shade.

Satureja chandleri Shrubby Yerba Buena, Mountain Balm and San Miguel savory. - grid24_6

Satureja chandleri is a delightful little sub-shrub that smells great.

Solanum xanti, Purple Nightshade has bright purple flowers - grid24_6

Solanum xanti, purple nightshade can work as a great groundcover additive for extra color.

Vitis californica, California Grape showing some fall color. - grid24_6

Vitis californica, California grape makes a great groundcover on the grapevine, (I-5)

California fuchsia, aka, Zauschneria californica mexicana, AKA Epilobium canum mexicanum flowers - grid24_6

Zauschneria californica mexicana grows throughout much of California, making a groundcover in rock outcroppings.

One to two foot California native plants that can be used as groundcovers.

These native plants should work as low groundcovers in most California gardens.

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